With the recognition that sectarianism is not simply a problem of men and football and that people experience sectarianism differently, Mixing The Colours addresses how intra-Christian sectarianism affects women in diverse communities, and their exclusion from previous research and societal dialogue.

“There has been a real lack of engagement with women on this [issue].”

Mixing The Colours Participant

Frequently, women are seen in a stereotypical way as passive ‘victims’ of sectarianism, and as the casualties of domestic violence after football matches. Mixing The Colours has challenged and diversified this view of women’s role in sectarian issues in Scotland.

Mixing The Colours Community Mapping Workshop

This project places women at the forefront of the debate and the research, and explores their wider experience of community safety in their homes and streets in a context of anti-social behaviour, hate crime and gendered violence.

Mixing The Colours facilitated women-only creative dialogue sessions between July 2013 and March 2015 to encourage women to develop, implement and lead on effective and sustainable solutions to sectarianism. As the project moves beyond March 2015, the focus will be on sharing the perspectives and experiences of these women through the Mixing The Colours Film and the short stories and poems contained in the Mixing The Colours Publication. Our aim is to engage diverse groups of women on an intergenerational and intersectional level, and to listen to their experiences and build their confidence on the subject of sectarianism.

“This was a really nice workshop. It’s made me want to write much more and made me realise my own experience is important.”

We engage women in dialogue in a non-judgmental, inclusive and exploratory way. We are driven by the GWL ethos of creating accessible opportunities for diverse women to speak and be heard in a safe space using methods that empower and raise confidence.

Mixing the Colours Workshop at Possilpoint Community Centre

To date we have delivered 50 workshops and events with 415 participants. Our participants have produced 22 pieces of poetry and fiction, with 7 participants recorded for our film.

“Fantastic to feel involved in creating an archive of female voices surrounding this topic. Feels like an important project.”

The Conference was a celebration of the women who have shared their experiences and creativity on the issue of sectarianism since 2013, and an introduction to the further work taking place beyond March 2015.

The podcasts in the Mixing The Colours Podcasts collection offers a selection of writing and performances created by some of the women who have worked with the project in workshops and events, and have shared their work with us for the purposes of highlighting the need for the inclusion and engagement of women in dialogues around sectarianism in Scotland.

Using participants’ creative output to address the noted lack of literature and film resources we are producing a film, book and a bibliographic and reference resource at Glasgow Women’s Library to increase societal and multi-agency understanding of women’s experiences.